Wednesday, August 17, 2011

August 17

On this day in 1945, Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands.  I don't know if any of you stop and think about how much the world changed in the 20th Century, but it really is amazing.  Let's just focus on our topic today though: colonization.  For half of that century, colonization was alive and well.  Vast expanses of land were ostensibly owned and run by many different foreign countries.  Just off the top of my head, France in northern Africa, the United States in the Pacific, and England just about everywhere.  What different ways of thinking must have these people had to think it was ok to to subjugate a people and steal their wealth.

This wasn't so long ago.  When I think colonies, I generally think the 1700's, the American colonies, the race for land in the Americas.  But even in our great-grandparents' time, in the 1940's, England held India as a colony.  In Africa, these were often violent, oppressive regimes.  These regimes shaped the futures of countless people.  And generally, not for the good.

Anyway, let's open this up.  What do you think was the biggest factor in the 20th Century?  Technology?  Cold War?  Colonization?  War?  Ace of Base?

7 comments:

  1. I always think of colonies as hundreds of years ago too, that's so weird.

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  2. 20th century? Definitely wars. The wars were the reason that technology advanced so much.

    Take a look at my math blog.

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  3. I remember watching the movie Ghandi, and thats how I know England colonized Inida. Nice blog!
    +followed

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  4. I'm going to say Technology. Even now, if I ignore technology for a few years, I have plenty to catch up on. War will happen. Colonization and rights will take their place. But I think its technology that helps us decide how to make these events happen.

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  5. My money goes to Pac Man. 100% that is the driving force

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  6. im pretty scared of how fast technology is moving. imagine when we start building robots with coding for a fully functional brain.

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  7. Don't be afraid... one of us, one of us! lol jk

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